The Hindu Crossword 8166 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 A Scotsman, a sailor and an engineer: It's like a Hitchcock film! (7) MACABRE (A Scotsman=MAC, a sailor=AB, an engineer=RE => MAC+AB+RE)
5 Maintain one's presence in a short moment (6) INSIST (one's = IS, moment=INSTANT => short moment=INST => one's presence in a short moment = INS(IS)T)
9 Problems caused by horse aboard ship (5) SNAGS (horse=NAG, ship=SS => horse aboard ship= S(NAG)S)
10 This may put one in bed in a ward (3-6) ILL-HEALTH (Direct)
11 Bad in a manner of speaking (3,4) NOT GOOD (Direct)
12 Having a quality that a thief would like? (7) TAKABLE (Direct)
13 Gets a listener with partners (5) EARNS (listener=EAR, partners=NS as in Bridge partners)
14 I heard request for an attractive quality to the viewer (3,6) EYE APPEAL (I heard=EYE, heard being the homonym indictor, and request=APPEAL)
16 All I found in: no-longer-fashionable straw mattress (9) PALLIASSE (All I= ALLI, no-longer-fashionable=PASSE => P(ALLI)ASSE)
19 Is on the way to see the state of course (5) GOING (Double meaning)
21 Thrown out from the plane, perhaps (7) EJECTED (Direct)
23 Intend to convey the French is the most inferior in quality (7) MEANEST (Intend to convey=MEAN, French is=EST(is in French) => MEAN+EST)
24 What is the accomplishment? Capital punishment! (9) EXECUTION (Double meaning)
25 Town in Karnataka for all to see at first (5) UDUPI (for all to see=U(as in a movie rating), at first indicates that U is the 1st letter of the word, and the rest of it has to be guessed based on this info :-)??)
26 What a fire accident may leave in heaps (6) ASHERY (Direct)
27 Cake eaten during Christmas time (4,3) YULE LOG (Direct)

Down
1 Hesitant, timid presenter is misunderstood (14) MISINTERPRETED (ana. TIMID PRESENTER)
2 Deed granted to a map-maker? (7) CHARTER (Double meaning)
3 Confers when bows set crookedly (7) BESTOWS (ana. BOWS SET)
4 Miscreants resolved shiftily that I be included (9) EVILDOERS (ana. RESOLVED + I)
5 Narrows our sailors allowed (5) ISLET (our sailors=IS??, allowed=LET)
6 Say boldly that Pa pukes all over the place (5,2) SPEAK UP (ana. PA PUKES)
7 What you would like the clue to be? (7) SOLUBLE (Direct)
8 When it occurs perhaps the whole sky becomes bright (5,9) SHEET LIGHTNING (direct)
15 Envy me, one winning betting proposition is there! (4,5) EVEN MONEY (ana. ENVY ME ONE)
17 Ambassadors spread glee, Sir (7) LEIGERS (ana. GLEE SIR)
18 Enter uninvited (7) INTRUDE (Direct)
19 Trembling, guard goes to the boy step by step (7) GRADUAL (ana. GUARD + the boy=AL as in the name of a boy)
20 Not uniform in saline quality (7) INEQUAL (Container => salINE QUALity)
22 Where any amount of milching may be done (5) DAIRY (Direct)